The present invention relates to a cover for the head and diaphragm of a stethoscope and a system for storing and dispensing covers for stethoscopes.
A stethoscope is an acoustic medical device typically used by a physician or medical care provider to monitor sounds in a patient's organs and/or pathways (respiratory, cardiac, arterial, etc.). Stethoscopes typically include a chest piece for placement against the patient for sensing relatively high frequency sound, an air-filled hollow tube to transmit the sound from the chest piece, and ear tubes to receive the sound from the air-filled hollow tube and transmit the sound via ear tips to the physician or medical care provider. The chest piece is generally known to include a head and a diaphragm which is the part of the chest piece placed against the patient. When the diaphragm is placed on the patient, bodily sounds vibrate the diaphragm creating acoustic pressure sound waves which travel up the air-filled hollow tube and ear tubes to the listener's ears. The physician or medical care provider may then be better able to diagnose a condition or whether the patient's organs or pathways are functioning normally.
In use, stethoscopes and in particular the head and diaphragm of a stethoscope can easily be contaminated with bacteria and other contaminants as stethoscopes are typically used on several patients within an hour. Physicians or medical care providers in a hospital setting see about 20-30 patients an hour including neonatal and pediatric patients, surgery patients, cancer and infectious disease patients and examine these patients using the same stethoscope. Medical providers typically employ a stethoscope on most of the patients they see in a hospital setting and anywhere between 6-12 patients per hour in an office setting. Transmission of bacterial infections among patients, particularly in a hospital setting, has become a huge concern especially in view of the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of staphylococcal infections and other resistant strains of bacteria, Viruses, and Fungal infections. Examples of resistant strains of bacteria include but are limited to, vancomycin resistant enterococcus and clostridium dificile; Viruses—Hepatitis B and C; and Fungal infections such as Aspergillosis, Candida. Accordingly, the use of protective covers for stethoscopes has become increasingly important.
Protective covers for stethoscopes are well known. Typical covers include a thin sheet of plastic having an adhesive backing which can be applied over the diaphragm of a stethoscope before use on each new patient. After use, the cover is typically removed and discarded. These covers can function adequately, however, too often do problems arise with the use of such covers. Such problems include the cover falling off the stethoscope during application, the cover not fitting with an air-tight seal on the diaphragm during application, poor acoustic transmission and the transmission of microorganisms, fluids or other contaminants to the head of the stethoscope and in some cases, the diaphragm of the stethoscope. Most often the design is cumbersome and takes too much time to deploy
Accordingly, a need exists for a cover for the head and diaphragm of a stethoscope that will securely fit onto the head and diaphragm, can be easily applied to the diaphragm to form a substantially air-tight seal without any air bubbles or wrinkling of the cover, is acoustically transmissive and protects against the transmission of microorganisms and fluids. It is imperative that the stethoscope cover be designed so that it is easy and quick to deploy since the time that a medical provider has with a patient is limited. Further, there is a need for an inexpensive system for efficiently dispensing covers for physicians and medical care providers.